Present, Not Future
by don't-even-ask1
Summary: Kyoya's never looked back, or even to the side. He's always had his eyes on the future. Then, Haruhi Fujioka walked into his life. - Oneshot cross between character study and fluff.


**Big thanks to my amazing beta, uyay! You rock!**

**Description: Kyoya's never looked back, or even to the side. He's always had his eyes on the future. Then, Haruhi Fujioka walked into his life.**

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Kyoya never would have guessed that he'd ever slow down. For anything or anyone. Not even Tamaki could get Kyoya to take his eyes off of his future and live in the present. Kyoya was focused on becoming everything his father expected him to be and more.

Then Haruhi had walked into his life.

Haruhi was different from the rest of the girls that Kyoya knew. She didn't care what people thought of her and truly saw people for what's on the inside. She had seen through Kyoya and his mask without problem. Kyoya hadn't known what to think at first. He was intrigued by her.

In a short amount of time after Haruhi had joined the club, Kyoya had developed an attachment to her, one he refused to admit or let show. But despite his attempts to ignore her, he found his eyes following her much more often than he would be comfortable to admit. She just had something (Kyoya couldn't figure out what) that drew Kyoya in.

By the time Kyoya had realized that his feelings might be more than friendly, Tamaki had already declared Haruhi as his daughter and Kyoya realized Tamaki loved Haruhi just as much as he did (if not more). Being Tamaki's best friend, he knew Tamaki would be a better choice for Haruhi and decided to back off and let Tamaki make his move.

After all, why would she want him, broken, moody and hurtful, when she could have Tamaki and all of his bubbliness and princely qualities?

So he had sat back and watched Haruhi, accepting the fact that he could never have her. Unfortunately for him, that didn't make it hurt any less.

After several months, Tamaki made an unannounced visit to Kyoya's home in the dead of night.

…...Tamaki's Visit…..

Kyoya woke up to hard knocking on the door. He sighed and rolled over in bed, covering his head with a pillow. The knocking didn't cease and if anything, became harder and faster.

"Mommy! Get up and open the door!"

Kyoya thought he heard Tamaki's voice but his mind was still too muddy to confirm it. He sat up and wiped at this eyes. "Tamaki?" he asked loudly.

"Of course, you dunce! Now open the door!" Tamaki shouted with another hard knock on the door before he stopped knocked.

"I'm a dunce?" Kyoya asked himself angrily.

Faintly, Kyoya heard high heeled shoes hurrying down the hallway and the hushed voice of his maid pleading, "Please sir! Don't wake the master!"

"Daddy can wake Mommy whenever he needs to," Tamaki said, his voice coming through the door.

Kyoya swung the door opened and looked at his maid. "You're too late, Koyoko," he said coldly.

Koyoko bowed her head and curtseyed. "I'm sorry, young master."

"You're dismissed," he said. The maid scurried off down the hall, happy not to be reprimanded by the young man while he was tired.

"What are you doing here, Tamaki?" he asked, putting all the venom he had into his tone.

Tamaki pouted. "Mommy! You should always have time for me!" Tamaki pushed his way past the Shadow King and into Kyoya's bedroom.

Kyoya shut the door and turned to Tamaki who was sitting on his bed and staring at him. Kyoya rubbed his eyes and asked warily, "What are you doing here? It's…" Kyoya checked the clock on his nightstand. "three in the morning. I'm quite used to your odd visits but I'd prefer if you kept them between reasonable hours of the day."

Tamaki was unusually serious and got straight to the matter. Kyoya knew he only got serious when he was upset about something. "Why didn't you tell me you like Haruhi?"

Kyoya was taken back that he couldn't manage anything to say._ Tamaki should have never have been able to figure it out. He's never been perceptive._ "Huh?"

Tamaki continued, "I was talking with the twins after host club today, and they mentioned how they thought it was weird you haven't asked Haruhi out yet." Tamaki stood up and started to pace in front of Kyoya, using his usual exaggerated hand gestures as he went on. "And of course, I was surprised, having no idea. The twins then were surprised to find out that you had not told me, your best friend!"

"Tamaki," Kyoya started.

Tamaki turned to Kyoya and said, "No! I'm not finished!" When Kyoya closed his mouth and sat back, he continued, "Mommy, I don't understand why you didn't tell me! I'm Daddy; you should trust me with everything. I see the signs now, that you really like Haruhi and I have no idea how I didn't see it before! The only thing I don't get is why you didn't tell me! Am I too untrustworthy? Is that it, Kyoya?"

_He isn't upset because he likes Haruhi too?_ Kyoya thought, confused. "Wait," he said. "Aren't you mad?"

"Yes! You didn't tell me, your best friend, that you liked someone," Tamaki answered dramatically. "And a girl, no less!"

"But don't you," Kyoya trailed off as Tamaki's last statement sunk in. "Of course it's a girl, what were you expecting?" he asked, defending himself.

Tamaki smirked and shouted, "Aha! So you do like her?"

Kyoya leapt to cover Tamaki's mouth. "Not so loud. Everyone in my family that didn't have a maniac wake them are still sleeping."

Tamaki looked at him, his puppy eyes shining. "Mommy," he asked, his voice cracking as if on the verge of tears. "Why won't you tell me? Do you not like me?" Tamaki crumpled to the floor and wailed, "Mommy doesn't love me!"

"Shh!" Kyoya shushed. "Yes, I like Haruhi. Now will you keep it down?"

Tamaki's demeanor immediately changed. He stood up and pranced around the room cheering, "This is great! Now you two can get together and have kids and be happy and live together forever!"

"Wait, what?" Kyoya asked. "Back up...you're not upset I like her?"

…...End Tamaki Scene….

During that night, Kyoya learned that Tamaki did not like Haruhi anymore. Sheepishly, Tamaki had admitted that at first, his fascination had taken over but after awhile he settled into the father figure, or rather, the big brother.

That day forward, Tamaki set out to set Kyoya and Haruhi up. They were paired up for everything imaginable, from on a committee to set up an event to sharing clients during club hours.

Eventually, Kyoya had admitted his feelings for Haruhi in a quiet way, despite Tamaki's protests to make it a big event. It had been simple just with a rose (Tamaki insisted on at least one rose) and after a Host Club sanctioned event.

Haruhi had said yes and for the next two years, they had dated. Like any couple, they had their ups and downs. They had gotten through many arguments and many challenges. After Kyoya graduated, he had gone to college and they broke up after they decided it would be useless to keep a long-distance relationship. They weren't people for futile relationships anyways.

A year later, Haruhi graduated and she went to Harvard for a law degree. Three months later, Kyoya had surprised her at her apartment saying that he transferred to Harvard.

….Haruhi's Apartment Outside of Campus…

Haruhi grabbed her car keys and checked her bag again._ Laptop, book, textbook, cell phone, iPod, earbuds, power cord, wallet,_ she checked off mentally. _Yep, that's it_. She opened her wallet to count her money to see if she had enough for two coffees. In the picture pocket was a worn picture of Kyoya with his arm wrapped around Haruhi's shoulders. It had been Kyoya's senior year when they had had the picture taken at the annual Ouran Fair.

Kyoya and Haruhi had been 'just friends' for about a year and six months, but had still kept in touch. They still missed each other but both refused to move.

Slinging a jacket over her shoulders, Haruhi opened her door to leave her apartment and nearly ran into a tall, lean frame. She followed the frame up to the face and took a step back. "Kyoya?" she asked, her hand over her mouth.

Kyoya stood at her door holding a bouquet of roses and a blush on his cheeks. "Haruhi," he breathed, relieved to see her after so long.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were going to college in Japan," she said, her hand still on the doorknob.

Kyoya smiled. "I transferred."

"To Harvard?" Haruhi asked hopefully, scared to believe it.

Kyoya nodded. "Yes. It was confirmed yesterday and I just got off the plane."

Haruhi grinned, joy filling her. "That's great!" Haruhi tilted her head, confused. She asked, "But why did you decide to leave? Last we decided was that our careers were more important."

Kyoya took Haruhi's hand and held it between both of his. "While knowing you," he started. "I learned that the future is not quite as important as the present and if you make me happy, which you do, then I belong with you."

"Kyoya," Haruhi started.

Kyoya squeezed Haruhi's hand. "I haven't done this since my second year in high school but I still think I'll get a yes." Kyoya looked up at Haruhi and saw her eyes shone. "Haruhi, will you go out with me?"

Haruhi didn't answer with words and instead leaned forward to kiss him.

Just that kiss and that perfect moment caused Kyoya to make a revelation. The future wasn't so important if he wasn't enjoying himself in the present.

…...End Haruhi's Apartment Scene…

Kyoya knew Haruhi was now essential to his life. Without her, he would be nothing.

She was his backbone. She was his reason for life.

Haruhi had changed him without trying. She did not set out to change but instead loved him for who she was, something Kyoya had never had before. Kyoya had changed for her.

The present was just as important, if not more important, than the future. Living just for the future was no life at all. No family, no friends, no people who cared about you.

Always looking forward makes you lose track of the things behind you and beside you, and sometimes, they are the most important things of all.

Haruhi taught him this, and he loved her more than anything.


End file.
